Album Review: SpiteFuel – Second to None (MDD Records)

Second to None is the debut album from the hard rocking German band, SpiteFuel. It is out on Apirl 7th 2017 via MDD Records.

The intense, battle style music of On Burning Wings flows into the riff-heavy Purified. A catchy beat, fist-pumping chorus & a hard-hitting guitar solo gives the right impression of SpiteFuel from the start.

A bit hard rock, a bit old school heavy metal, Second to None is has plenty bombastic riffs, groovy bass hooks & vocals that could melt ice. It’s just a pity that it falls flat a few too many times. By My Hand is forgettable & even when it sounds like its chorus might be going somewhere it slips. It does manage to recover its balance enough though to deliver a blistering guitar solo.

The up-tempo, riffy effort continues along at a decent if unexciting pace. The intro drum beat of Whorehouse Symphony has a real 90’s Metallica vibe about. it doesn’t really do much different until it hits Regrets. A ballad that shows off the vocal range of Stefan Zörner, it does little to get the blood pumping even if the melody is quite nice.

Those hoping for a more bombastic return with Sleeping With Wolves will be sorely disappointed. A bland song that only hits its peak with a decent guitar solo near the end. It feels like SpiteFuel are holding back & with only a handful of tracks left you can’t help but wonder just when they are really going to let rip.

The 40 second interlude of Adamah’s Tribes is pointless but it leads into one of the finest tracks on the entire album. A punchy, hook-filled song with some nice duelling vocals. It’s a good slab of hard rock with some stellar riffs. Exactly the kind of song SpiteFuel had to drop to keep interest up for the remainder of the album.

Unfortunately that momentum is dropped for yet another slow ballad. Fly is the strongest of the softer, melody led songs but it’s just so disheartening as it’s very Bon Jovi.

The album comes to a close with Devil’s Darling & It Remains Empty Forever. The former is a fantastic, fist in the air track that really brings back the excitement felt at the start of the album. While the latter chooses to see things off in a blur of riffs & a seriously catchy chorus. It finishes far stronger then expected & lifts a lot of the more drudgery moments found in the middle.

Second to None Full Track Listing:

1. On Burning Wings
2. Purified
3. By My Hand
4. Whorehouse Symphony
5. Regrets
6. Sleeping With Wolves
7. Adamah’s Tribes
8. Traid of Faith
9. Fly
10. Devil’s Darling
11. It Remains Empty Forever

The single, Sleeping With Wolves can be picked up now via Bandcamp here. You can find out more about the band via their Facebook page here.